Utility to hold off on energy-use tower, monitoring system

Wednesday

Aug 21, 2013 at 10:30 PM

By Steven H Foskett Jr., TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — National Grid is tabling its plan to install a specialized tower at a Tory Fort Lane substation.

William Jones of National Grid told the City Council's Public Service and Transportation Committee Wednesday that based on feedback it received over several meetings with neighborhood residents and city officials, it has decided to explore other options and conduct further signal testing to see if another site for its so-called "WiMax" tower could be located.

The proposal for the new 80-foot-high lattice tower with a 10-foot-high mast extension at the Cooks Pond electric substation at 30 Tory Fort Lane was before the Zoning Board of Appeals, and has drawn strong opposition from residents in the area near Tatnuck Square.

As part of the utility's Smart Energy Solutions program, formerly referred to as the smart grid program, the network of WiMax towers would collect data transmitted from "smart meters" installed for 15,000 customers so it could be passed along to the utility, and back to customers through Internet and mobile apps.

Mr. Jones said the meters, installed as part of a pilot program, would give the utility more pinpointed information about customer usage, and said it would allow customers to get a better sense of how they use electricity. Some levels of the new service will allow customers to automatically control their thermostat, heating and air conditioning controls.

Several residents and other speakers at Wednesday's meeting at City Hall said they were concerned with the potential for adverse health effects of the electromagnetic and radio frequencies and radiation generated by the devices, which are typically being installed on the exterior of customers' homes.

According to National Grid, the relative power density of the smart meters is 10 to 20 times less than a laptop computer, and 5,000 times less than a microwave oven. Mr. Jones said he is not aware of any adverse health effects of the devices.

But Clare Donegan of Quincy said National Grid was not using "apples to apples" comparisons when compiling those statistics. For example, she said the utility uses a measurement for the effect of a microwave oven with someone standing at 2 inches from the oven door. She said she would like to see a more realistic comparison of the effect of someone standing farther away from the appliance.

Other members of the audience questioned the source of National Grid's research, and others complained about more mundane annoyances like a lack of attention to upkeep around the Cooks Pond substation.

That set off at-large Councilor Rick Rushton, who said he was growing tired of complaints about the utility.

"You are a terrible neighbor to that neighborhood," Mr. Rushton said.

District 2 Councilor Philip P. Palmieri told National Grid officials that if they can't do things like regularly mow the lawn at their substations, they will have trouble gaining the trust of residents on larger issues like the smart meter installations and tower locations.

The committee also asked for a report from the city's Public Health Department on the potential health effects from the smart meters and WiMax towers.

Some residents at the four-hour meeting had problems with the way the program was presented to residents. They said the utility made it the responsibility of customers to opt out of the program, rather than inviting them to opt in.

Mr. Jones said the utility notified customers in writing that they were selected for the program, and gave them instructions on how to opt out. He said workers also notified residents when they come to install the meters; if they are not home, door hangers are left behind.

Residents also noted that the utility plans on seeking approval from the state to charge residents a one-time fee and a monthly fee for opting out of the program.

Mr. Jones said that request was for a separate program. He said there is no charge for customers to opt in or out of the pilot Smart Energy Solutions program.

Mr. Palmieri said a future meeting will be scheduled that will be dedicated to the Smart Energy Solutions program.

Earlier in the meeting, the utility went over some of its tree-trimming efforts. Craig Allen of National Grid told the committee that the utility conducts trimming operations on a five-year schedule. He noted that climate change has elongated the growing season in Central Massachusetts, prompting the utility to consider altering its trimming cycles to prune at shorter intervals, or to trim more around the lines to keep the growth at bay.

Mr. Allen also said National Grid is planning for the impending invasion of the latest tree-killing bug, the emerald ash borer. He said he believes the ash borer will eventually kill all the ash trees in the Northeast.